Hello. New member here, just posting a story that I wanted some people to read. Hope you like it. I'll be posting at least once a month to continue the story. I did get the idea of a game from the terrific series The Hunger Games, but that's pretty much it, so I guess it would constitute as original? Well, once again, I hope you like it, and I REALLY DO appreciate those who read it, and I appreciate even more those who reply back with criticism, friendly or not.

Games are fun. I like games. I’m good at them. I always have been. However, certain games are terrible. Especially when the stakes are high. Now, I just don’t like to play games. I don’t know anymore, I think I’ve gone insane from the stress, tension, and the bets. I’m not writing this down. At least I don’t think I am. I don’t remember. You’re all just a part of my imagination, watching through my eyes, all that happens during this “game”. It’s called Escape, and rightly so. Of course, you wouldn’t understand. Well, you’re a part of me, so I guess you would in a way.

I’m just thinking this all right now as the knife that he threw came flying at me. It seemed to be that I was dictating a will, no matter how poorly made it was, it was a still a will. I felt the knife plunge into me, stabbing my stomach. I felt a dull thunk. That thunk in my stomach became much more noticeable as it evolved into a screaming, roaring pain. Blood didn’t spew out. It never spews out when something impales you. You have to pull the object out first. Hah… I can’t believe I’m informing you guys of this. I guess this last message wasn’t terrific… I think you came to be a part of my mind after I saw the knife coming toward me. Well, then I’ll tell you what happened from the very beginning. From the beginning of this horrible game. From the beginning of when I contacted the company Brother in order to save my mother with the prize in the end.

In this age of 2098, corruption has spread through the government and companies have risen up to become superpowers, actually rivaling countries. Of course, everyone expected the first to become true at some point, according to Plato, Lord Ancton, and a few others. The power that they had corrupted them. Presidents, executives, senators, CEO’s. They all had massive amounts of power, and that completely wrecked them, and they underwent a change for the worse, becoming something like a hydra. Evil, ferocious, and undying. There seemed to be no way to beat this horrific system. Pollution has ravaged the planet, and many of us have been forced to live underground, using air purifying vents that allowed the polluted air to seep in, purified, from the strange, alien outside world. My mother and I were one of those people. The weather in the outside world became very…. tumultuous. It changed swiftly from intensely hot, to freezing cold and at the oddest times. The world was not in the best condition. And wars you ask? What wars. After the war that occurred in 2080, there were no other wars after that. There didn’t need to be. After all, at that point, the company Brother came into power. The company was the one who provided all the weapons, funds, and nutrients for EVERY army. Countries were united… but not in a good way. They were unified under fear, spite, and anger. They had no chance but to listen to the domineering company that now seemed to control the world. The war was but a chess piece for the company. A little act that they benefitted from. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they were the ones who caused the war. They had connections all over, representatives in various governments around the country. Those representatives whispered dark lies into the ears of the powerful. Of course, there was no immediate response. It did take nearly a year for those small seeds to sprout. But when it sprouted… oh, it sprouted. Roaring in anger and frustration at the lies those representatives of Brother had told them of political scandals and betrayals that were committed by the opposing countries. It does not take much to manipulate the powerful into thinking everyone is against them. The war has not only ravaged the world, but also the economy. Many of us have become destitute. We could barely afford living fees.

Oh, I guess I forgot to inform you guys about me! Well, this is the most boring part I assume. I’m surprised you don’t already know, considering you’re part of my sub consciousness. Whatever. My full name is Noah Grenlit. People just call me Noah. I’m 16 years old. I look mostly like my mom except for my brown hair and black eyes. I live alone with my mom, because my dad left me when I was four years old. My mom told me that he was the one who passed down his love of games to me. I’m not anything special…. Or at least I like to think so. Everyone says my intelligence level is ridiculous. That’s not true. I have a weird ability. I can see events before they happen. It’s not like precognition! It’s more like, getting to know someone’s thought process and what they’re about to do or say. So, I wouldn’t know if some complete stranger were about to shoot me or something like that. But, I guess that’s about the most special thing about me. Using that odd….. ability, if it can even be called that, I’ve been winning money for my mom and me so we don’t fall into that black hole called poverty. Of course, that money was only enough to survive. I couldn’t really buy much else with it. There exists only games for amusement. Now, those games act as sanctuaries, refuges, from this ravaged reality that stands before us. But then, there are prize tournaments, with money as the prize. There’s actually a stake, something most people will want to participate for. The rich host these tournaments in order to gain amusement from them, watching the poor desperately use their brains in order to make up for what they lack: funds. The winner and the losers all cry. The winner cries in joy at the prospect of money for his or her family. The losers cry because of another week without sufficient food. I usually participate in Chess tournaments, as it plays out the best for my abilities.

I’ve managed to pass by so that my mom and I have never actually had a insufficient, or surplus amount of food to eat. We get by better than most people. It’s mostly due to me, as Mom became sick two years back. The disease was caused by the destructive pollution, and doctors so far, have found a cure… but it’s incredibly expensive. There’s no way I could afford the cure just by playing in these silly game tournaments. However, the disease wasn’t going to kill my mom…. At least, not yet. And if it starts to, I thought I would be able to earn enough for the cure, but I’m not certain. So, because of her disease, she had to stay in bed most of the time, and can’t move around. Now, I’ll begin the story of why I contacted Brother.

It was my eighty-fifth Chess tournament, and I remained undefeated. After the game concluded, and my opponent broke down into hysterical tears, I left the room, feeling shame and guilt clawing at my back, desperately making me want to turn around and hand all the money to her. But, shame and guilt weren’t enough to allow me to forget my ailing mom. I walked way, through the tunnels that led down to my home. Everyone lived in those underground tunnels, but game tournaments were held in the outside world, in special insulated buildings that did not allow the polluted air to flit in from the outside. I walked through the dimly lit tunnels, going by habit to the door marked 202. For the lock, I pulled out a small vial of my own blood. I dripped a tiny bit into the cylinder lock and the door made the familiar soft whirring noise before it opened. Houses have now become even more anti-theft. Most of the doors required a bit of our blood in order to enter, but they required only a small amount. I walked through the door and saw my mother lying down in bed, coughing raucously. I became instantly worried. Coughing=bad sign. Duh. I rushed over to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from within the fridge. I brought the bottle over to her and handed it to her. My mom was once pretty, no doubt about it. I could see the familiar signs of it within her once long, black, sheen hair. Her skin had become wrinkled, when it was smooth before. Her hands had become gnarled. I hoped that when I earned enough for the cure, she would return to the beautiful state that she was in before the disease struck her. Mom accepted the bottle of water graciously, shakily uncapping the bottle and sipping from it. She handed it back to me, and began to cough once more, this time, blood flying out, onto the bed sheets. “Mom… did you see the doctor today?” I asked in a concerned tone. “Yes, dear… and I have something to tell you,” she said in a ragged tone of voice. That didn’t sound good. It sounded like she was about to say something morbid that would completely ruin the day. She couldn’t be saying what I thought she was going to say, was she? “The doctor said that the disease has finally begun approaching my heart. It’s going to take around four months to completely decimate my internal system and kill me. Basically, in a much more concise way of putting it, I have four months to live.”

How cliché can you get? I mean, she was joking right? Right? RIGHT? Such clichés can’t possibly exist… but then, I guess that’s why they’re called clichés. I laughed out loud without even realizing I did that. My mom looked at me with something like pity etched on her face. I should be the one pitying her. After all, she was the one dying from a terrible disease. But, deep down, I knew, that I needed her much more than she needed me. She was my emotional lifeline, the one thing to keep me going in this horrific reality that was created before I was even born. I couldn’t let her leave me alone. I would save her… using the only way I knew how. Playing games.

She collapsed into bed, falling into a deep sleep. There was only one game that I could play in order to save her. Every year, Brother sponsors a game called Escape. No one knows what the game contains, as most of the people who enter don’t actually come back. I have no idea why though, the game’s description did not imply violence or anything of the sort. The game was completely optional and open to everyone. Out of all those who applied, Two hundred people were chosen. There were only eight winners however, in all of the two hundred people. The prize was basically the ultimate prize. One wish, if it was possible to grant it. Brother would grant your wish if you won the game, if it was within reasonable range. If you wished for money, you got a set amount. They gave you one billion dollars. That was enough to support even my posterity! The cure costs around fifty million dollars, and the prize money from Escape would be more than enough. Of course, that’s considering if I won. The game lasts for 2 months. Escape was merely a source of entertainment for the people of all countries. People bet on the outcomes, rich and poor. Sometimes, betting on a winner who was very unpopular could easily turn your life around. So, it was probably the one thing that allowed Brother to reap revenues that would exceed that of the combined winners’ money if they so wished for it. To enter, you would have to call them, make an appointment to apply for the show, and be judged for a “performance”. I would have never participated in this hell game before. This game that allows Brother to earn so much income. This game that seems so innocent at first. Brother has manipulated us, even using this game. Under the guise of being “optional”, the company knows that the destitute have no choice; it was their only chance to grab at the lifestyle of the rich. So, I picked up my phone with one trembling hand. I dialed the number that all the poor knew by heart. I did the unthinkable at that time. I called Brother and made an appointment. And I willing signed up for a chance at a trip into the Hell that I would later come to regret.

Last edited by Militia101 on Sun Feb 27, 2011 12:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

A representative from Brother asked to meet me in an underground coffee shop. I didn’t bother to say that I was pretty much too poor to afford simple pleasures like coffee. Especially considering how the price has jumped up exponentially for it. It didn’t matter. As long I managed to surprise and please her, she would let me in the game. Ok, so admittedly, much harder than it sounds, but I can try? I walked through the tunnels until I came to the opening that led above ground. It was a quick two minute walk from there, so the pollution wouldn’t severely maim me and I didn’t have to grab a mask that provided clean air for me to breathe. I arrived at the coffee shop… pretty much a place that was empty except for the rich and the well off. A woman wearing a gray dress outfit with pinned up brown hair looked up at me.

“Noah?” she said, in a bored manner.

“Yes, I’m Noah. Are you the representative from Brother?” At the mention of Brother, I couldn’t keep my face from wrinkling in displeasure. I’m sure she noticed this, but ignored it. Well, if she didn’t ignore it, I’d probably be evicted from this meeting so fast that I wouldn’t even be able to IMAGINE that prize money. She beckoned me to sit down quickly.

“What do you want?” she directed me toward the menu at the table.

“Well, considering I can’t afford anything, I’ll take water.”

Admittedly, the first part of the sentence was directed at her in order to make her feel guilt. She showed no expression. What a freakin’ robot!

“I’ll pay for you. Have you ever had coffee before?”

“Of course I have!” I said sarcastically. Ok, I couldn’t hold myself back. The situation of the world was all the fault of Brother and I couldn’t keep that fact from blinding me with anger. But if I didn’t keep up a façade of tranquility, I was going to be written off.

“I’ll choose to ignore that. Please remember that your future is currently in my hands. I’ll assume you asked me for a coffee,” her tone was not in the least bit threatening but that made it that much worse. She knew she had me and I couldn’t say anything back.

“So, do you have anything special to offer to this game? Something that would make it different? Something to entertain the general public?” she asked me as we waited for our coffee.

This was the hard part. I had to convince her that she wanted me for the games and not everyone else. So, I used what I knew I was good at. Games. I took out the mini chessboard I brought with me and set it on the table. The representative raised one eyebrow, surprised at my choice. Now I had to pass my choice off as the correct one. Sink or swim. I tried to keep my voice steady.

“If you let me into your game, I’ll win. I’m a good strategist and I’m an even better manipulator. I’ll cheat, lie, deceive, and steal to win this game.” Not all the words coming out of my mouth were lies. I was willing to go pretty far to earn that money.

It was the first time that she smiled, and let me tell you, it wasn’t a pleasant smile. It was a cruel smile of a predator.

“Well put. Desperation is something we need to make this game more interesting. Would you go so far as to kill someone to win?”

A lump appeared in my throat, and it became hard to swallow or talk. It was hard to believe that people would even ask these questions. But, she knew, and I knew, that there was only one answer to this question.

“Yes,” I whispered, disgusted at myself for even answering that question.

Her smile grew broader and she tapped the chessboard. At the same time, the coffees arrived, steam billowing from them. The waitress set them on the table.

“Let’s play then,” she began to set up the board for me.

I let her go first. She began to move her pawn up first. I copied her move, moving the same pawn. Playing chess isn’t hard, but some of the techniques are underrated. Copying an opponent’s move puts pressure on them and leads them to make bad decisions. Needless to say, after nine moves, her queen was open. I took the chance and destroyed it with my own queen, while at the same time, checking the king. She moved the king to the right in order to avoid it, but I anticipated that, already trapping her. I moved by bishop three squares away from her king and gained myself a checkmate. I managed to end the game in only 11 moves. She wasn’t a great player, but so much the better for me.

“As you can see from the game, I’m a fairly quick thinker. I can anticipate moves of opponents fairly well, and if I apply it to this game, I’m sure I could beat my opponents easily.” Lies were just spewing out of my mouth that day weren’t they?

“Yes, you’ve proven that you’re good at making quick, good decisions.” She bought the lies? Terrific! I took a victory sip from the coffee, now cold, and spewed it back the cup. It was so bitter! People actually like this stuff? Ugh, so much for looking distinguished and tranquil.

I wiped my mouth and continued on, trying to save face. “So, am I chosen for the game?”

She grinned that malicious grin again and said, “Yes, I think you’ll make this game very interesting. You’re in. Congratulations, you’re one of the two hundred people chosen.”

Ok, NOW I was confused. She just decided that on the spot? She didn’t have to consult anyone else? No checking with others to make sure they had better candidates? Something was wrong, but I had to take the chance.

“Thank you. When does the game start?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Wait, what?” The game starts tomorrow? No preparation or anything? Well, that would explain the quick decision. They must’ve been lacking participants and grabbed at anyone that they could.

“Where is it going to take place? And how am I going to get there?”

“We’ll provide transportation for you. However, the rules and concept of the game will be explained there. We will be doing things a bit differently this year in order to reap the money in. For transportation, please come back to this shop. There will be ten other contestants here as well, as they live near you.”

I left without saying goodbye after that. She didn’t deserve it. I walked back to my apartment and found my mother asleep. The game started tomorrow. I would say it was a dream come true, but honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I’ve never heard anything about the losers of the game. So, I decided to search the internet for them. Thank God Google still exists. Even if it’s dominated by Brother. I searched through the links about the losers of Brother. I managed to find one interesting link however, written by Marie Lith. I clicked it, but a sign popped up. It was blocked. By Brother. Of course. However, I guess the people attempting to block sites badmouthing the company missed the title. To say the least, it was very revealing. The title was Death for Most of the Losers?. So, not only do I have to win, I might actually have to fight to survive.

Not exactly the greatest start in the world.

Last edited by Militia101 on Sun Feb 27, 2011 12:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

The representative had forgotten to tell me what time to arrive and I had forgotten to ask. I just woke up early and left to go to the coffee shop. I left a note for Mom saying that I had entered Target in order to save her. She wouldn’t let me go if she knew, but that was the only way I could obtain the cure for her. I walked all the way to the coffee shop, feeling nausea slowly overtake me. I think, by the time I arrived, I looked like broccoli. A LOT of people were already there. It was ridiculous! There were already about fifteen people there, just in this area. It seems that they were all like me, nervous about missing out on this opportunity, but also anxious to get out of this game as fast as we could. I stood alone by the corner of the small coffee shop, staring at everybody. There was a nervous looking blonde woman, who kept her left hand constantly on her right arm. She seemed to suffer from a nervous disorder. If it came to it, I could use this against her, so I took note of this. There was a slightly short girl with flowing black hair standing behind her. She had a cool look on her face, and seemed unbothered by the fact that she was venturing into unknown and possibly fatal territory. She seemed to be Asian… one of the races that were actually fading away currently. Brother was dominated mainly by Caucasians, because the winning army came from a rather haphazardly thrown together from England and America. Their rather shaky alliance broke down soon after they had won the war however, and became bitter enemies. From their, the oppression of other countries progressed, the Asian countries no exception. Actually, most of the Asian countries were hit the hardest, experiencing increasing poverty and death. The look on the girl’s face was slightly creepy… ok, maybe a bit more than just slightly. I looked down at her hands and saw tiny cuts crisscrossing all around them. She seemed slim and fit, a very lithe person.

I scanned the other thirteen people. There was a tall, Black person, incredibly fit and a bit bulked up. Two of the rest seemed too old to even participate in this game. There was a young White boy, in ratty clothes who seemed to be mute. He was communicating with another person using… sign language? The person he was communicating to was a taller boy, who looked similar to the mute boy. Must’ve been brothers. They both had badly thrown together clothes and messy, dark blond hair. The taller boy’s nose seemed to be a bit pushed to the right as if someone had hit him… with a lamp… repeatedly. The younger boy had a sad smile on his face, and I could see that he was missing a tooth. They were probably one of the too many urchins running around now, after their parents abandoned them in order not to spend too much money on the children. The others were fairly unnoticeable, normal to the point where I didn’t even take serious note of them. Basically, they were dressed like me. But, I was dressed like this in order not to stand out among the people here.

After ten minutes of making mental notes and observing each person’s miniscule movements, a large bus arrived. It was painted completely black, with tinted windows. I guess Brother employees used it to get around. Maybe they were afraid of getting attack. Shocker. The doors opened quietly, and the people around me began to shuffle in. I didn’t go in until I saw everyone walk in. That was the second thing I looked for. The way a person walks can tell a lot about them. I learned this from a game I used to play when I was little with my dad. I think he was the one who told me about that. The Asian girl’s walk was light, treading as if the ground was covered with needles. She was cautious. Even now, when we were relatively safe. I saw the Black man walk in right after. He had heavy, steps, brushing past many of the others to get in first. He was eager and confident. He seemed a person to be easy to sway using lies. The two urchin kids shuffled in, shoulders hunched. They didn’t want to be noticed. It seemed to be a defense mechanism in order to protect themselves from nature. They seemed like the type who wouldn’t trust anyone. The younger boy, however, looked to be only following his older brother, constantly shooting glances up at the other boy. Finally, I began to walk to the bus myself. I entered in and saw everyone taking two-seater seats for themselves, except for the two brothers. I decided to be like them; I sat down next to the Asian girl and she shot me a surprised glance. I had thrown her off guard, as there wear nearly ten other empty seats all around the bus. Finally, her eyes narrowed, and she turned away, turning her body away from me as well. As long as I was close enough to work on her. I didn’t believe for one second that this game would be winnable without partners. So, to win this, I would need to make some friends. Preferably ones that are cautious like her.

Most people think the people who are idiots make the best allies. They don’t question your decisions, and you’re able to sway them easily. However, behind that lies the problem. They’re swayed too easily. What if they meet someone else who is able to manipulate them easily as well? Loyalties can shift easily between you to the other person. It’s difficult to keep track of them constantly. Paranoia is the fastest way to lose anything. The best allies are the ones who are cautious. Caution is good. It doesn’t allow them to make mistakes, and if you ever manage to build a trusting relationship with a cautious person, that relationship is rock solid. Plus, they can think for themselves which is good as well. It’ll take time to persuade the girl to trust me, but I think I can manage it. And if I do, I’m just one step closer to the prize. Step one to build that bridge would be to empathize with her on a level that others can’t.

“So why’d you join this game?” I said, attempting at casual conversation.

“…” Intelligent, witty response. Gotta love that.

“You can tell me.”

“…”

“No, seriously, it’s fine.”

“…”

It was like talking to a brick wall. Actually, I think brick walls might talk more than she does. Ok… this might be a little more difficult than I originally thought. I decided not to assault her with any more questions… mostly because I was afraid that she would break my neck, but also because I wanted to respect her privacy… sort of. She glared at me, as if reading my mind. Now I just wanted her not to break my neck. I turned around and looked the other way, at the two urchin boys. They might’ve been a little easier to convince… but the older one looks more wily and untrusting. I couldn’t do anything right now. Not without standing out. So, the only option left to me was to sit back and wait. I think, after an hour, I fell asleep on the bus. The bus stopped abruptly and threw me out of my seat and forced me to skid across the floor on my cheek. That’s going to hurt tomorrow, the next day, and probably the next week. I got up shakily, touching the bruised skin on my cheek and wincing. I looked outside and saw a vast desert. Well, that’s not surprising, wildlife didn’t really survive all too well in this pollution. Only a few pieces of land of wildlife still existed. It wasn’t bright though. No sunlight got through the thick, toxic air. The doors opened and one of the agents, this time wearing a mask, walked into the bus holding a large number of masks similar to his. Oxygen masks. They would allow us to breathe in unpolluted air. I walked toward the open doors, grabbed a mask from him, strapped it on, and then walked out. The desert was dark in a way that suggested trapped light. The air that came in through the mask was incredibly musty.

I looked over as everyone began to exit the bus. Finally, the attendant exited as well. He clapped for our attention and we all looked over at him.

“We’ll be starting the game in two hours. For now, we’ll go somewhere much more secluded than this.”

After he finished talking, the ground began to shift and twist around our feet. The sand seemed to swallow us whole and we began to slowly fall through it. After a few seconds, our whole body was through as well. I realized that we were standing on a platform that led underground. The descent was rapid, but even then it still took nearly twenty seconds for us to arrive at a stop. When it stopped, the platform led to a much larger, dimly lit room. In the past, there existed parking lots. This was extremely similar to those parking lots, except for the fact that everything seemed to be created from metal. The attendant walked forward and waved his hand to tell us to follow. I took off my mask and followed him, along with the other people into the lot, where other groups were already waiting for us. Just as a guess, I would say that we were the last group to arrive there. The attendant walked forward and joined four other ones. He raised both hands to request silence, but it wasn’t like any of us were in the mood to talk.

“You’ve all been selected to join Target. There have been a few changes, so I’ll announce them right now.” He paused. “First of all. There are two hundred people chosen per continent right now, not counting Antarctica. Target will now be in play all around the world. In total, there are 1200 people participating in this game. Because of the number of people, we have also decided to make a few more changes.”

Everyone burst into cries of rage and horror. The number of people gone up? That meant the lower the chances of people winning.

“Silence!” the attendant yelled.

Everyone went quiet.

“The next change that we will announce is that there will now be teams rather than single players.”

Teams! That was good for me! I pretty much have no physical ability whatsoever and would not stand a chance against people who do. Especially in physical challenges, which there were bound to be.

“There will be 200 teams of 6 in total around the world. Each team will have a leader, which we will designate by skill shown in his or her entrance test. The leader will then have one hour to choose 5 other members. Ultimately, there will be two people left over per continent. The final two teams will be made from those twelve people. The other changes are: each person will now carry a badge, which we will explain the purpose of later, and that to travel to each continent, you will need to find a key, given by clues throughout the game. These clues will be given through a special pager that each team will be given. For now, we’ll leave the other slight changes unsaid, and announce the leaders for this continent. There will be 33 leaders here. If I announce your names, please come up here and wait for all leaders to arrive.” He finally finished listing all the changes and beginning the game.

Leaders? It would really suck to be them. Honestly, it’s like having a “strong target, kill first” sign on your back. I feel sorry for the unfortunate people who would become leaders.

Sucks for them. At least I’m not a leader. The five people walked up to where the attendants were standing and stood there. The list went on until I was sure that I wasn’t going to be a leader. That was good for me.

“The last five will be: Nina Tois, Jerid Sonri, Noah Grenlit, James Attarky, and Mia Thornsend.”

What was that third name? Son of a bitch. If there was a God, he probably spited me at that time. All I did was beat someone in chess quickly! That damn woman must’ve noticed the possibility that I could use that perception to win. I was set up in the worst possible way. I had to walk up now. I went straight to where the other 32 people were waiting and I felt all eyes on me as I made my way there. There were only three teenagers there and I was one of them. The rest were all probably above twenty years of age. That didn’t help my situation much either. That would’ve said that I must’ve done something extraordinary to beat so many other adults to a leader position. The other two teenagers looked just as nervous and I knew that they were probably just as perceptive of their situation. I think one of them was called Lilly Hua and the other was James Attarky.

“These leaders will no choose their members. In one hour, every single one of them will have chosen five other people. Only the continents of Asia and Europe will have leaders with only one other person in their group. Those leaders will then choose from the leftover members of other continents. When a leader approaches you to request that you join their group, you can deny or accept. We will now commence the one hour time period.” He stepped back and me and the other thirty two people rushed off. I knew who I wanted first. The girl I saw on the bus. However, I couldn’t find her. I did see the two urchin kids from the bus as well. They might be good at surviving, so it would be useful to have their input. I approached them and raised my hand quickly.

“Noah Grenlit, nice to meet you. Would you like to join my party?” I said that phrase as fast as I could. I needed more time to examine who would be a better choice for me. The older boy looked stunned and then suspicious. The younger boy just had a confused expression on his face. I just wanted the older boy.

“The name’s Nonnith. And yeah… I’ll join,” the older boy said slowly in a very rough tone.

“Great! Nonnith, thanks.” I started to walk away before he grabbed me with one firm hand.

“But only if you take my little brother as well, Ataraxia,” he said doggedly, pointing at the younger boy beside him who was still looking confused.

Wow. Just one bad moment after another. I didn’t want the younger boy. He didn’t seem to have any special talent or something that would help me. But the older boy would be a big asset. He knew how to survive. Or at least I hope he does. I was torn between the choice. If I chose to take Ataraxia, I would just be filling up a position with useless fluff. But, if I didn’t choose to take him, I would lose Nonnith. The chose was hard, but I decided after a minute of thought.

“Fine. I’ll take you and Ataraxia,” I conceded reluctantly.

“Good. Then I’ll join.” He smiled a crooked smile that seemed to suggest he was going to stab me in the back for even thinking about not taking Ataraxia. I should watch out for him now…

“Forty-five minutes left!”

Last edited by Militia101 on Sun Feb 27, 2011 12:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

I apologize profusely for that. I normally type it into word and save it. Then I would copy and paste it onto here. Somehow, the paragraphs and spacing gets lost. I'll write it directly on here next time.

I found it a bit hard to go through, so if you don't mind I've separated particular sentences to perhaps make it a bit more readable. Also I added lines that would separate one part of the story from the other. You can ignore or keep it. It's up to you. I checked the grammar as well marked by blue fonts. Although I feel I may have missed a few errors. Probably nothing though..

I like it, but the flow feels a bit rigid.

Games are fun. I like games. I’m good at them. I always have been.

However, certain games are terrible. Especially when the stakes are high.

Now, I just don’t like to play games. I don’t know anymore, I think I’ve gone insane from the stress, tension, and the bets.

I’m not writing this down. At least I don’t think I am. I don’t remember. You’re all just a part of my imagination, watching through my eyes, all that happens during this “game”.

It’s called Escape, and rightly so. Of course, you wouldn’t understand. Well, you’re a part of me, so I guess you would in a way.

I’m just thinking this all right now as the knife that he threw came flying at me.

It seemed to be that I was dictating a will, no matter how poorly made it was, it was a still a will.

I felt the knife plunge into me, stabbing my stomach. I felt a dull thunk. That thunk in my stomach became much more noticeable as it evolved into a screaming, roaring pain. Blood didn’t spew out. It never spews out when something impales you. You have to pull the object out first.

Hah… I can’t believe I’m informing you guys of this. I guess this last message wasn’t terrific… I think you came to be a part of my mind after I saw the knife coming toward me.

Well, then I’ll tell you what happened from the very beginning. From the beginning of this horrible game. From the beginning of when I contacted the company Brother in order to save my mother with the prize in the end.

-----------------------------------------

I noticed that a lot of things aren't particularly explained at the beginning. But I assume that was so to make it more mysterious. So let's have it at that.

In this age of 2098, corruption has spread through the government and companies have risen up to become superpowers, actually rivaling countries. *Of course, everyone expected the first to become true at some point, according to Plato, Lord Ancton, and a few others.

*I don't quite understand what the protagonist meant by that. What does it imply to be "true"?

A bit of mystery is good I suppose. But do be careful that you do not lose your audience.

The power that they had corrupted them. Presidents, executives, senators, CEO’s. They all had massive amounts of power, and that completely wrecked them, and they underwent a change for the worse, becoming something like a hydra. Evil, ferocious, and undying.

There seemed to be no way to beat this horrific system. Pollution has ravaged the planet, and many of us have been forced to live underground, using air purifying vents that allowed the polluted air to seep in, purified, from the strange, alien outside world.

My mother and I were one of those people. The weather in the outside world became very…. tumultuous. It changed swiftly from intensely hot, to freezing cold and at the oddest times. The world was not in the best condition. And wars you ask? What wars. After the war that occurred in 2080, there were no other wars after that. There didn’t need to be. After all, at that point, the company Brother came into power.

The company was the one who provided all the weapons, funds, and nutrients for EVERY army. Countries were united… but not in a good way. They were unified under fear, spite, and anger. They had no chance but to listen to the domineering company that now seemed to control the world. The war was but a chess piece for the company.~

Perhaps "a game of chess" would be a better analogy, yes?

Continuing...

~A little act that they benefited from. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they were the ones who caused the war.

They had connections all over, representatives in various governments around the country. Those representatives whispered dark lies into the ears of the powerful. Of course, there was no immediate response. It did take nearly a year for those small seeds to sprout. But when it sprouted… oh, it sprouted.

Roaring in anger and frustration at the lies those representatives of Brother had told them of political scandals and betrayals that were committed by the opposing countries. It does not take much to manipulate the powerful into thinking everyone is against them. The war has not only ravaged the world, but also the economy. Many of us have become destitute. We could barely afford living fees.

---------------------------------

Oh, I guess I forgot to inform you guys about me! Well, this is the most boring part I assume. I’m surprised you don’t already know, considering you’re part of my sub consciousness. Whatever.

My full name is Noah Grenlit. People just call me Noah. I’m 16 years old. I look mostly like my mom except for my brown hair and black eyes. I live alone with my mom, because my dad left me when I was four years old.

My mom told me that he was the one who passed down his love of games to me. I’m not anything special…. Or at least I like to think so. Everyone says my intelligence level is ridiculous. That’s not true.

I have a weird ability. I can see events before they happen. It’s not like precognition! It’s more like, getting to know someone’s thought process and what they’re about to do or say. So, I wouldn’t know if some complete stranger were about to shoot me or something like that. But, I guess that’s about the most special thing about me.

Using that odd….. ability (if it can even be called that) I’ve been winning money for my mom and me so we don’t fall into that black hole called poverty. Of course, that money was only enough to survive. I couldn’t really buy much else with it.

There exists only games for amusement. Now, those games act as sanctuaries, refuges, from this ravaged reality that stands before us. But then, there are prize tournaments, with money as the prize. There’s actually a stake, something most people will want to participate for.

The rich host these tournaments in order to gain amusement from them, watching the poor desperately use their brains in order to make up for what they lack: funds. The winner and the losers all cry. The winner cries in joy at the prospect of money for his or her family. The losers cry because of another week without sufficient food.

I usually participate in Chess tournaments, as it plays out the best for my abilities.

I’ve managed to pass by so that my mom and I have never actually had an insufficient, or surplus amount of food to eat. We get by better than most people. It’s mostly due to me, as Mom became sick two years back.

The disease was caused by the destructive pollution, and doctors so far, have found a cure… but it’s incredibly expensive. There’s no way I could afford the cure just by playing in these silly game tournaments.

However, the disease wasn’t going to kill my mom…. At least, not yet. And if it starts to, I thought I would be able to earn enough for the cure, but I’m not certain. So, because of her disease, she had to stay in bed most of the time, and can’t move around. Now, I’ll begin the story of why I contacted Brother.

----------------------------------------

It was my eighty-fifth Chess tournament, and I remained undefeated. After the game concluded, and my opponent broke down into hysterical tears, I left the room, feeling shame and guilt clawing at my back, desperately making me want to turn around and hand all the money to her. But, shame and guilt weren’t enough to allow me to forget my ailing mom.

I walked way, through the tunnels that led down to my home. Everyone lived in those underground tunnels, but game tournaments were held in the outside world, in special insulated buildings that did not allow the polluted air to flit in from the outside.

I walked through the dimly lit tunnels, going by habit to the door marked 202. For the lock, I pulled out a small vial of my own blood. I dripped a tiny bit into the cylinder lock and the door made the familiar soft whirring noise before it opened. Houses have now become even more anti-theft. Most of the doors required a bit of our blood in order to enter, but they required only a small amount.

I walked through the door and saw my mother lying down in bed, coughing raucously. I became instantly worried. Coughing=bad sign. Duh. I rushed over to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from within the fridge. I brought the bottle over to her and handed it to her.

My mom was once pretty, no doubt about it. I could see the familiar signs of it within her once long, black, sheen hair. Her skin had become wrinkled, when it was smooth before. Her hands had become gnarled. I hoped that when I earned enough for the cure, she would return to the beautiful state that she was in before the disease struck her.

Mom accepted the bottle of water graciously, shakily uncapping the bottle and sipping from it. She handed it back to me, and began to cough once more, this time, blood flying out, onto the bed sheets.

“Mom… did you see the doctor today?” I asked in a concerned tone. “Yes, dear… and I have something to tell you,” she said in a ragged tone of voice.

That didn’t sound good. It sounded like she was about to say something morbid that would completely ruin the day. She couldn’t be saying what I thought she was going to say, was she?

“The doctor said that the disease has finally begun approaching my heart. It’s going to take around four months to completely decimate my internal system and kill me. Basically, in a much more concise way of putting it, I have four months to live.”

How cliché can you get? I mean, she was joking right? Right? RIGHT? Such clichés can’t possibly exist… but then, I guess that’s why they’re called clichés.

I laughed out loud without even realizing I did that. My mom looked at me with something like pity etched on her face. I should be the one pitying her. After all, she was the one dying from a terrible disease.

But, deep down, I knew, that I needed her much more than she needed me. She was my emotional lifeline, the one thing to keep me going in this horrific reality that was created before I was even born. I couldn’t let her leave me alone. I would save her… using the only way I knew how. Playing games.

She collapsed into bed, falling into a deep sleep. There was only one game that I could play in order to save her. Every year, Brother sponsors a game called Escape.

No one knows what the game contains, as most of the people who enter don’t actually come back. I have no idea why though, the game’s description did not imply violence or anything of the sort.

The game was completely optional and open to everyone. Out of all those who applied, Two hundred people were chosen. There were only eight winners however, in all of the two hundred people.

The prize was basically the ultimate prize. One wish, if it was possible to grant it. Brother would grant your wish if you won the game, if it was within reasonable range. If you wished for money, you got a set amount. They gave you one billion dollars. That was enough to support even my posterity! The cure costs around fifty million dollars, and the prize money from Escape would be more than enough. Of course, that’s considering if I won.

The game lasts for 2 months. Escape was merely a source of entertainment for the people of all countries. People bet on the outcomes, rich and poor.

Sometimes, betting on a winner who was very unpopular could easily turn your life around. So, it was probably the one thing that allowed Brother to reap revenues that would exceed that of the combined winners’ money if they so wished for it.

To enter, you would have to call them, make an appointment to apply for the show, and be judged for a “performance”. I would have never participated in this hell game before. This game that allows Brother to earn so much income. This game that seems so innocent at first.

Brother has manipulated us, even using this game. Under the guise of being “optional”, the company knows that the destitute have no choice; it was their only chance to grab at the lifestyle of the rich.

So, I picked up my phone with one trembling hand.

I dialed the number that all the poor knew by heart.

I did the unthinkable at that time.

I called Brother and made an appointment.

And I willingly signed up for a chance at a trip into the Hell that I would later come to regret.

There were, so far, three members out of six in my group. For the final three members, I had to choose carefully. I brushed past many people. Every single one of them was leering at me hungrily, as if he wanted a party where he could command their own leader. I ignored those fools. I thought I heard a shrill scream, but I kept running through the lot, desperately attempting to find someone that would not be so belligerent and hostile towards me. Suddenly, I caught sight of a person who looked like he would be a perfect candidate. I abruptly stopped and ran over to him. That girl… Lilly Hua, I think her name was, was nearly beside him too. I think she spotted something in him that would help her as well. I did the only thing I could to gain an advantage in swaying him.

In other words, I stopped, stuck out my foot discreetly, and tripped her. She fell flat on her face, and I winced. That wasn’t something I liked to do, but it wouldn’t have any ramifications for me, as there were too many feet all around the area. There would be no way to pin the blame on me. She stood up quickly, looked around and spotted me, almost to the man. She was about to call out, but the large crowd of people shifted and she disappeared from sight. I approached the man, truly seeing him for the first time. He had rugged looks, as if he lived outside the whole time and hunted for food like people did in the past. His brown hair was disheveled and he had a sort of mouth cover over the bottom half of his face. He had a bow slung around his back, and a sheathe full of what looked like very sharp and dangerous arrows. He was tall, not immensely so, but enough that he towered over me and had a good inch or two over most of the others. He wore rough leather, strewn together very quickly and crudely, I gathered by looking at the seams. His eyes were closed and he was silently pondering something, propped against a long column. I didn’t know how to begin.

It turns out, I didn’t have to. As if he felt that I was there, he opened his eyes, jewels with hues of black and gold. He stared at me for a second, as if attempting to analyze me the way I was analyzing him. Then he closed his eyes again and said, “What do you want, little boy?” in a soft, but carrying, voice.

I guess he wasn’t listening during the announcements. He didn’t seem to know that people were running around gathering people to join their group . “Well, I’d like to request that you join my group. Oh, my name is Noah Grenlit, for the record,” I said, nearly faltering with each word. There was something about him that disturbed me and I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.

“Someone else requested that too. I shot him in the leg,” he said calmly.

Ah. So that was why I heard a scream. Well, this puts me in a very unfavorable position. One wrong move and I could lose a leg.

“Why?” I kept my voice steady, trying to keep fear out of it.

He opened his eyes again, put a hand under my chin and lifted my head up so he could stare into my eyes.

“Because I didn’t like his eyes. They showed that he would use me and use me until I became useless, and then he would toss me away like a rag cloth. This game kills. Do not pretend otherwise. So how are your eyes, boy? Do they show that you would sacrifice everything in order to get what you wanted? Do they show that you would lose yourself in the process? Do they show desperation and insanity? Or do they show that you’re a person who will be able to conquer this game and keep himself and his team alive and whole in the process?” he whispered so that only I could hear him.

I was frozen with fear. But then I remembered what I came here for, and steeled myself. The man showed a look of surprise as he saw my eyes. I think they changed and he didn’t expect that.

“I will not lie to you. I will do whatever it takes to win this game. I am desperate. I am weak. However, I will not lose myself. I will not throw away my morals. The corrupt and the cruel do that. I will conquer this game indefinitely, and in the process, keep every single member of my team alive. I will not let anyone lose as long as I am the leader. So, right now, I am asking you. No, that’s not enough to describe what I’m doing right now. I am requesting that you join my team,” I whispered back. It was a message only for him to hear. It might’ve been a lie, but it was a damn good lie if it convinced even me. I would win this game, along with my team. There would not be a single member left out.

He smiled, a small smile, for the first time. His hand drifted away from my chin and he stared at me for a few more seconds.

“I will join you, Noah Grenlit. I will join you because I am willing to place a bet that you will win this game. But you will win it as you, and no one else.” He reached out a hand and I reached out my own. He shook it and uttered, “My own name is Alistois.”

I smiled. I had gained a very good member indeed.

“You have thirty minutes left to gather the rest of the members of your team,” the attendant called out.

I dashed away from Alistois, attempting to find the girl that I searched for. A hand gripped me before I got far though. I turned around and found myself staring up at a grinning woman. She had a long, shimmery, black ponytail and seemed to be half-Asian, just like my mother was. She had a fairly pale complexion compared to most of the people here, even me, who lived underground. She had a white lab coat on, as if she were a doctor or a scientist. Doctors were fairly rare in this age so I automatically assumed she was a scientist. She looked like she was in her twenty’s, pretty youthful herself in this large group of people. I didn’t have any special interest in her, but something caught my eye. Embroidered near the bottom of her coat was the symbol of Brother. Four eyes with black chain links entwining each of them.

She was a scientist for that damned company. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Newest part of the chapter. Hope you like it. Anyways, if I may be so ignorant to ask, is there a way to make this easier to read? Every time I paste this story on here, it loses the indentations and line spacing.

Last edited by Militia101 on Sun Feb 27, 2011 12:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

Chess Move: Overprotection- Choosing to protect one area relentlessly, bolstering its defenses more than necessary. Usually used to push opponents to make faulty or self-destructive plans. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Heya,” she smiled, talking past the cigarette. “So, I’ve been watching you, and I see you’ve gathered three other people. I want to join your group too!”

This just got interesting. Normally, I would have no interest in someone who would be of no help, but she works for Brother. I could use that information to my own benefit. If I survive the game, then I would probably want to take down Brother, even if it kills me along the way. After all, that horrendous company is the cause of all this.

I couldn’t let her know my true intentions, so I kept my gaze away from the emblem and directed it straight at her eyes.

“Why?” I asked flatly.

“Well, you see, everyone here is such a drag. They’re all so boring, and I know that half of these guys aren’t even going to survive the first round. But you… you’re interesting. You’re a winner too. Mr. Alistois over there is right. You may have thought no one was listening in, but I was on the other side of the column. He’s right in making a bet on you. I want to join in on the bet,” she puffed out a ring of smoke after she finished, looking up at the steel roof.

Oh. So she was going to use me. I was okay with using others, but not okay with others using me so blatantly. I had no interest once again.

“No thanks.”

I began to walk away, but then she said something that interested me a lot.

“Your mother’s name was Nira Terala, and your father’s name was Daimon Grenlit. I knew both of them when I worked for Brother as a scientist. I can tell you whatever you want to know about them.” I hesitated. That was something I didn’t expect. I could learn about my mother’s past which was unknown to me before. She had shot me down whenever I asked. I barely remembered my father, so that was something that aroused my curiosity as well. It almost made me allow her to join.

She sensed my weakness and went on, blowing another smoke ring, “I’ll also tell you whatever you want to know about the company.”

She knew that I saw the emblem and watched it. She was good. Extremely good. Now I want her.

“Fine. I’ll let you join my group. What do you go by?” I turned around and stuck out my hand.

“Teresa’s fine,” she said, while shaking my hand.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll need to go find the final member of the group,” I said, and began to walk off.

“What does she look like?” Teresa asked curiously.

“She’s Asian. Full, I think. Long black hair, has tiny cuts on her hands. Walks really lightly,” I said, remembering the details.

“Eh… I saw her. She’s there right now, by the attendants.” Teresa pointed.

“You have five minutes left,” an attendant called out.

I dashed over to her, pushing past everyone until I reached her. No one was giving me any stares anymore. They were all recruited already and busily discussing plans with their team. She didn’t seem to have one however. She was just talking to one of the attendants up there, with the same expression-less face. I reached them, panting. The time was ticking down and I needed one more player. Not just any player. That girl. For some reason, I was fixated on her. I just knew somehow, that she would be essential for the group. There would be no replacement. I tapped her shoulder and she whirled around, a dagger in her hands. It seemed to appear out of nowhere and she held it out at me to keep me away.

“You’re that boy… what do you want?” she snarled.

“Do you have a team?” I asked, holding my hands up in the air in a show of peace.

“No. I don’t plan to join one. I’m going to win this by myself, for myself,” she replied, waving her dagger.

The attendant stepped in between us.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Li-Ying, but you will need a team. Otherwise, you will be disqualified,” he bowed to her.

Finally, her face showed some emotion: shock, reluctance, anger. She turned her dagger down on him, and cried, “Why were the participants not informed of this!?”

“Those rules should have been obvious. If they were not, we sincerely apologize. However, you now have one minute to join a party. Otherwise, you will need to wait for the other countries to finish their own recruitment and join the leftover team. You will have a late start into the game as well.” She spluttered, “O-one minute?”

The attendant kept his eyes downwards, “Yes, one minute. Might I suggest the young boy before you? Otherwise, you might not have the opportunity to join anyone else.”

She seemed to contemplate the choice. Get a late start into the game with a ragtag team just thrown together, or get a team that seems to have carefully selected members. The choice was obvious.

“I request to join your team, Noah Grenlit,” she grimaced.

“I accept!” I nodded tersely, knowing that time was already running out.

“Time is over! Everyone must cease talking and moving. No one else may be recruited,” the attendant shouted, just mere seconds after I accepted her request.

“We have been watching and keeping track of the people recruited and the people left over. So far, all teams have managed to gain an addition five members besides the leader. The leftover participants will remain here until further instructed. We will now announce the team formations.” The attendant stuck out his hand and another put a list on it. He listed off all the names that were in teams and all the people listed stood and walked to the front with the attendants.

“Noah Grenlit’s team consists of himself, Teresa Ravenheart, Alistois Ambroid, Lai Li-Ying, Nonnith and Ataraxia Geminio. This is the final group. Members, please remain up here.”

I stood up, with Teresa on my right, and Nonnith on my left. All the members of my group took curious glances at each other, with me being the only exception. I watched the attendants carefully, as they gestured and whispered among one another. One of them pointed to a large steel gate fifty feet ahead. Finally, one attendant came up.

“All of you will now be staying with your team for the rest of the game. There are a few rules we must go over before we begin. First, take these badges.” The attendants walked around, handing badges with names emblazed on them. I was handed mine. It had jewels sparkling all around it and seemed to be made of solid gold! And they gave these to everyone!? I could see the other participants looking hungrily at each of their badges.

“This is your ‘wish’ token. To get your own wish, you must return your own badge to an attendant after the game ends. However, you must be part of the winning teams. There is one more way to gain a wish. You may gain a wish if you have a team leader’s badge. The leader must be in the winning team as well. If you do have a winning team leader’s badge, you can exchange it for their wish, regardless of whether you won or lost. Players may gain more than one wish. Each team must have all seven keys to advance to the finale round. From there, only two teams will achieve victory. We will pass out your pagers after this first round. Please, follow me inside here,” the attendant pushed a button besides the large gate, and it creaked open slowly.

She led us into an extremely high-tech room. When I say extremely high-tech, I mean EXTREMELY high-tech. There were Dream Spinners all around the place. Seemed like one per person. Let me explain, a Dream Spinner is a device that was designed to throw people into dreams that they made themselves. Anything could happen in that world, and the amazing part is, no matter how frightening or dangerous the dream is, you take no damage, physical or mental. They were shaped like beds, with a large steel covering that swung upwards in order to reveal a fuzzy interior with buttons all around the walls covering the inside. All of them seemed to be connected to one large computer. That means we would be going to a virtual world. This round didn’t seem really dangerous, but that aspect probably only belonged to this continent’s round.

The attendant stopped at the computer and turned back toward us and said, “Before we enter the first round, everyone should know what these are,” she gestured at the large Dream Spinners. “These are Dream Spinners. They send people into a comatose state in order to push them into the dreams of their choosing. Normally, these machines are designed not to inflict mental or physical harm. However, we have adjusted them. If you die in this round, you are sent into a vegetative state.”

Everyone started muttering to each other. Only my team and Lilly’s team said nothing about the new changes. This wouldn’t be good. I was wrong. This round wasn’t a safe one. I told myself that I could get through it. I could get through it. I could get through it.

The attendant clapped his hands and everyone fell quiet once more. “We will now begin the round, Mind Warfare. Leaders, choose a set of the Dream Spinners and enter in. We will start as soon as everyone is in a dream spinner.”

I walked around, looking at each set. All of them had a different emblem on the top. One of them had a fire insignia, another with the insignia of water. Each of them seemed to have their own, but other than that, the Dream Spinners were no difference. If we were to play a war game, what would the symbols represent?

“Land,” Teresa puffed out past her cigarette.

“What?” I said, startled out of my thoughts.

“These symbols probably represent land. If we’re going to play a war game, we’re most likely going to need bases. Each of the symbols shows the environment we’ll be placed in,” Teresa explained. Of course… the environment! I should have known. We would need a good environment. A few other people caught on as well, and began to rush past the Dream Spinners, trying to find one that would be to their advantage.

“We should go for one that has good cover. One that we can use to hide in. I don’t want to get my brother directly involved in fights,” Nonnith commented.

“Preferably the woods then. I can use my skills to the best of their abilities there,” Alistois jumped in.

“Yes, I would prefer the woods as well,” Lai mused.

“It’s settled then. We’ll go for one with the insignia of the woods, assuming there is one,” I pointed out different directions to each of my members and told them to whistle when they found one. I went straight ahead, pushing past the bunches of people gathered around the Dream Spinners. Many of them were just haphazardly going into the closest ones. After a few seconds of result-less searching, I heard a whistle. I turned to my left and started to head that way until I ran into Ataraxia. He looked at me, pulled my sleeve, and then pointed at one of the Dream Spinners. There was a tree symbol on the cover! Nonnith, Alistois, Teresa, and finally Lai all arrived.

“Hopefully these are the woods,” Lai muttered darkly.

I said nothing and got in. I waited for a short time until I heard a voice crackle into the intercom located on the interior side of the cover as it closed down on me.

“We’ll begin the game now. First, I will be transporting everyone inside a massive dream. We’ll discuss the rules of the round there. Please get ready. Close your eyes. Relax yourselves,” one of the attendants droned.

A gas spewed out from one of the sides and floated all around me. I could feel myself drifting off to sleep… slowly... slowly… and then I was in. I opened my eyes and found myself lying on cold stone floor. Everyone else was getting up as well. We were all gathered around a large computer, much larger than the one in the previous room we were all in. This one was connected to many smaller computers. There was one computer for every team here. Finally, an attendant appeared out of nowhere, a light surrounding him and he swung his hands to the computer.

“We are now in a common dream. I will explain the rules of this round. Each team is located in certain large areas. There are eleven areas in total, with three teams located in each area. Those areas will be your home environments. To win, you must all try to get to this base and enter in a password of your choosing. Conversely, if an opposing team manages to get your password and enters it into the computer over there,” he directed our attention to a small black computer, “that team will gain an advantage after this round and will also force you out of this game.”

“There are a few other ways to be forced out of this game. Each team will be given two team emblems with their team leader’s name written on the back. If you lose both of these emblems, then you lose the game. In order to obtain opponent emblems, you must first declare war. If you do not declare war, you may not take opponents’ emblems. If you lose the war, meaning the opponent is completely eliminated, or the person concedes, then you get the emblem. Along with the password needed for the computer, you will also put in two emblems besides your own. The computer will recognize your password and your emblem, so do not attempt to place the emblems you started out with inside the machine. When you answer both your own password AND enter two emblems, then you win this round and pass on. Your emblems will be waiting for you in your bases.”

“There is one more additional information that we, the attendants, will have to announce. Lago, please take over,” the attendant stepped off and another attendant with a different mask stepped on. He was holding a remote of some sort and was pointing it at the super computer.

“The last thing we have to tell you is that leaders will get one power during this game. You choose from this super computer. We will call you up, one by one, randomly, for you to tell us the power you want. To use the power, all you need do is think about using it. This is based on luck of the draw, and nothing else. If you choose a power someone else has already decided upon, you will be told to choose another. Lastly, one more thing. If your opponent discovers the power you have, the person will be granted that same ability for one hour of their choosing. So, try not to let anyone discover the power you have. You may not use your powers until the game starts. Now, direct your attention to the screen, where there will be thirty-four powers. One will be left over and we will reveal that power for your benefit.”

He clicked a button and the screen burst forward, with squares all on it. I began to look at it quickly, taking in all the powers. Hypnosis, water control, fire control, illusions, teleportation, and many others. A plan began to form in my head. Keeping your power to yourself would be paramount to the game. One hour of the opponent’s choosing? They could come back in that amount of time! As I looked at the powers, I realized that some of them were marked with numbers. Illusion was marked with three, hypnosis was marked with five. Half of them had numbers while the other half did not. I assumed that the numbers would be the times that the power could be used. I already decided on my power. Illusion. It had the least usages of all the powers, but I already had a plan. After ten more seconds, the attendant called out for us to stop.

“Now, we will call the leaders up, one by one. Hopefully you get the powers you want. Lilly Hua.”

She made her way up to the stage and whispered something into the attendant’s ear. He nodded and made a note on the computer in front of him. The screen did not change. “Mia Thornsend.”

Mia came up and whispered something into the attendants’ ear as well. I began to worry. If any of them chose my powers, I didn’t have a backup ready. I looked up at the screen again. No, there was nothing that would help me have an assured victory besides Illusion! After three more people were called, my name was finally announced. I was lucky five people had only gone before me. “Noah Grenlit.”

I went up and muttered to him while looking down, in case anyone could read lips, “Illusion.” I then waited with baited breath for his answer. Please, please, please let nobody have chosen that already! He marked the computer and nodded. Yes! I went back down and began to wait for all the people to be called up. After another five people passed, there were a lot of “Choose again” answers from the attendant. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the leaders had chosen their powers.

“The game begins when you enter the teleportation capsules to your left,” the attendant pointed. We looked over and saw pads with base emblems emblazed on them.

“Choose the pad that had your Dream Spinner’s emblem on it. Any of them, as long as no other team is already using it. We will now show the power not chosen.”

I quickly walked over to the pad with a tree emblem on it, trying not to draw attention. My team shot me glances and attempted to follow, but I held a hand to signal them to stop. Right before he showed the power, my foot touched the pad and I looked at the screen. One usage of Illusion was down. I only had two more usages left. No one noticed me step on the pad. Hopefully. The screen turned dark and then turned white, with only one dark square on it. It was the power of Illusion. I made it so that the remaining power was Illusion so nobody would be able to guess it. I heard a few mutterings. “Wait!” one person called out. It was James Attarky. He went up to the attendant a few people after me.

“But I chose that power!” Attarky complained. The attendant said nothing, but I could see him glance at me quickly, just once. I walked away from the pad and made my way back to my team. Thankfully, everyone was focused on Attarky so they didn’t notice me.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Attarky. The computer must have malfunctioned when I told you to choose again so I did not realize Illusion was still open. That, or someone used their power in order to make it look like Illusion was on the screen. There are a few powers that could do that. However, the game has not started for anyone,” he nodded at James and pointed at the pads. No one was near them. Only my team had saw me make my way to the pads.

“So, because of this, it’s very likely that the computer malfunctioned. I apologize for my possible mistake, Mr. Attarky. Hopefully, your secondary ability will be sufficient.” He said nothing and backed down. There was no victory in that situation for him. I smirked to myself. Teresa was looking at me. It was an emotionless glance, as if she were analyzing a lab specimen. She knew what I had done, as did my other teammates. She was the only one looking at me though. The others were focused on the attendant.

“Now. We will start the game. We look forward to congratulating the victors. Good luck.”

I would like to try something a little different. I have heard that music enhances the pleasure of reading works, especially when the music and the style of writing flows together. From now on, if I find music to accompany my writing, I will post a link along with the work. I encourage you to try it, if I do post music along with a next part of a chapter. If you do not want to, by all means, do not. It is your choice. I write not only for my own pleasure, but for others as well.